The government has been called upon to harness the untapped potential of sorghum to address poverty and food insecurity across the country.
This appeal was made by Sadiq Daware, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Sorghum Producers, Processors, and Marketers of Nigeria (NASPPAM), during the inauguration of the association’s newly elected executives on Thursday in Abuja.
Daware emphasized that sorghum is a vital crop with the capacity to provide food, income, and employment for millions of Nigerians. However, he pointed out that the exclusion of commodity associations like NASPPAM from government policies and programs has hindered the full realization of its potential.
“The best way forward is for the government to ensure that commodity associations are included during the design and implementation of projects and programs,” Daware stated.
He described commodity associations as the foundation of agricultural and economic development, urging the government and development partners to collaborate closely with NASPPAM.
He highlighted the multifaceted importance of sorghum as a crop for food, medicine, and livestock feed, underscoring its potential to contribute significantly to national development.
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In his remarks, the newly elected President of NASPPAM, Abdulkadir Gaya, expressed gratitude to the association’s members for their trust and support. He pledged to align NASPPAM’s activities with the food production goals of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“With over two million producers, processors, and marketers of sorghum across Nigeria’s 36 states, we are well-positioned to make a significant impact on food security,” Gaya said.
He also highlighted the association’s plans to maximize sorghum production through both dry and wet season farming, stressing that such efforts could drastically reduce food insecurity in the country.
Gaya announced plans to reform and restructure the association, including conducting state and local government elections to strengthen NASPPAM’s presence nationwide. He expressed optimism that these efforts would boost sorghum production, a crop in which Nigeria already holds a leading position.
As the largest producer of sorghum in West Africa and the third-largest globally, Nigeria has the opportunity to leverage this strategic crop to reduce reliance on food imports, enhance food security, and improve the livelihoods of farmers and citizens.
“By unlocking the full potential of sorghum, Nigeria can take a significant step toward reducing poverty and creating sustainable economic growth,” Gaya added.
